| QUOTE |
| Freedom of Conscience Act Category: Human Rights; Strength: Strong Freedom of conscience is a fundamental human right, yet the governments of many member states in the United Nations frequently persecute those who merely express beliefs or thoughts that are not state-approved. We, the United Nations, recognise that freedom of conscience is a human right that transcends national borders and, accordingly, do hereby 1) DEFINE a ‘prisoner of conscience’ as a person who is detained or imprisoned, not for use of, or encouragement to use, violence; not for openly supporting or recommending hatred for racial, religious, sexual or similar reasons to provoke people to discriminate, or to be hostile or violent; but for their political, religious or other beliefs, or their ethnic origin, sex, colour or similar reasons; and accordingly MANDATE that all member states immediately and unconditionally release any prisoners of conscience they are currently detaining and PROHIBIT member states from detaining prisoners of conscience in the future 2) DEFINE a ‘disappearance’ as a person who has been taken into custody by government authorities or by armed political groups, but whose whereabouts and fate is kept secret; and accordingly MANDATE that any institution or group holding such an individual reveal the fate and whereabouts of the ‘disappeared’ 3) CONDEMN extrajudicial executions by governments, killings caused by the unnecessary use of lethal force by law enforcement officials and killings of civilians in direct or indiscriminate attacks by governments or armed political groups |